Tron in my local meta is monoblue. Blood Moon does indeed hammer them pretty badly. I don't play the identical 75 as the original list, because it was for a specific metagame. Fair enough on Emrakul.
I'm not specifically worried about Tron in Richmond, because I don't expect to see much Tron (either version). If I am wrong, then oh well. I can't waste sideboard space on a match I don't believe will be relevant.
Following its breakout success at PT Valencia, Blue Moon has seen a bunch of MTGO dailies (not to mention its performance at the PT itself). The deck may be new and relatively "untested", especially compared with other heavy hitters in Established, but it's an awesome brew that saw a lot of recent success. This brings it into Established where we can hope it continues its record.
Master is weird for this deck in most matchups, as it's so light on permanents that actually have blue mana symbols. On the other hand, if the goal of the deck is to force the opponent into only having red mana, his pro-red should be strong against anything with Lightning Bolts. My gut instinct is that a couple copies of main-deck Vendilion Clique would be better than Masters, but I'm sure that the team that brought the deck to PT BNG tested this much more/better than I have.
Yeah I was wondering if there are instant speed finishers you can play against the combo decks (namely twin). I was watching AJ Sacher's video on the PT top 8 where it was blue moon vs UR twin.
The only flash card you can play that doesn't die to bolt is teferi, and i don't like that as a finisher. Cards worth considering are aether vial or leyline of anticipation. And then cutting some cards to put in thirst for knowledge to pitch some dead moons or leylines/vials/shackles.
Using Lee Shi Tian's list, I guess you could cut 2 threads of disloyalty for 2 blue leylines, then maybe shave a serum visions for a thirst. I'm not sure if that makes the deck better, but i'd really want to try to find a way to get instant speed finishers. There's a lot of twin online.
SO I've figured I'll take this up as my project for the PTQ season. Thoughts on list? Anything I'm soft to? Sideboard is the biggest slot of contention, and when I obtain one I think I'll slot one desolate lighthouse in the main instead of the second sulfur falls.
Yeah, definitely don't use Ghost Quarters. Unless you have the Shadow of Doubt, they'll get to fetch a basic land, which pretty much screws up the entire Blood Moon plan. Spreading Seas is probably better in the main (it can fix our own mana for Cryptic Command, too) than Shadow of Doubt, but Shadow of Doubt also seems strong out of the board as a way to prevent 3-color opponents from preemptively fetching basics to beat Moon.
The original PT list has 0 electrolyzes in the 75, yet it's great against delver, pod, and affinity. Is it too clunky for this deck or something? I feel like it deserves at least some sideboard space.
Please do, I'm currently toying with different variations of this deck/mana denial style control in modern and would like to read as much analysis as possible.
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I went with my list as above with the minor changes in the board of
-1 Flame Slash
-1 Vandalblast
+1 Spreading Seas
+1 Keranos
Got there and played a friendly match against some sort of RW lockdown/kikki deck.
He blood mooned me turn 4 (lol) I resolved a clique and stole his Kikki with Shackles. Gave myself unbeateable card quality with a free clique every turn, remand his wraths and ended up beating his face in while paying for a ghostly prison.
1-0
Round 1 - Matthew Hulme on UWR Control (2-0)
We shuffle up and talk some smack, he complains that his friends only call him while he's playing magic tournaments and they proceed to all match long. I win the roll, opening 7 has something like bolt remand snap seas land visions maybe? I think I go visions into seas onto his turn 1 colonnade. I wait until I represent spell snare to crack my fetch (important, don't get blown out by shadow of doubt with this land light control deck), I end up drawing the good old triple bolt + snapcaster draw. I was way ahead in this game, and was getting great card quality with desolate lighthouse when I needed it, so I actually held onto my moon in game 1 and maybe a seas? I end up bolting him to death while beating face with a snappy and clique
Out
-2 Anger
-1 Flame Slash
-1 Electrolyze
-1 Bolt
In
+1 Keranos
+1 Brokenskull
+1 Counterflux
+1 Negate
+1 Spreading Seas
So I'm like 90% sure he thinks I'm on twin/delver this game with how I played out game 1. With this is mind I know I'm going to moon him out game 2. I keep a land heavy hand (blue control mirror) with visions and a snappy I think. I visions turn 1 and then snap it back turn 3 (which he allows I think) and loot an izzet charm trying to find a hand of moon + protection. I get there so I try to resolve another snappy at some point to flashback charm for more looting which he snares (sweet! Trying to remove his counters now) I wait until I'm 90% sure he's sitting on cryptic + 1 land + maybe some other counters (he has 4 or 5 cards in hand) and 7 lands in play. I EOT try to resolve a clique with 3 lands untapped which he cryptics (all going to plan) he now has 3 lands untapped. I untap and slam moon with remand snare charm in my hand and 4 lands untapped. He doesn't do anything relevant for the rest of the game.
2-0
Round 2 Charles Tricker BUG infect (2-0)
He lead inkmoth go, I go 'haha I see whats going here now', thinking affinity. I put my shock into play tapped rather than visions turn 1. He goes pendelhaven swing with inkmoth... Whoops. Luckily my hand is absolute gas against infect, boltx2 + snappy. He vineses in response to my first bolt on inkmoth but the 2nd one gets there. And my snappy takes care of his blighted agent followup. I then resolve a shackles and ask if its as good against him as I think it is, turns out it is. I ended up stealing a noble hierarch and beating face with exalted + snappy then exalted + clique, while charms slashes and bolts killed all his dudes.
Out
-2 Cryptics
-1 Notsobrokenskull
In
+1 Negate
+1 Threads
+1 Anger
He leads with catacombs, cracks it into Overgrown Tomb (omg!) then resolves spellskite turn 2 while I tapped out for visions and feel pretty silly now. I think he goes into plague stinger beat down mode, while I'm trying to deal with this spellskite. I end up using shackles to take the skite and izzet charming the stinger with negate at the ready for his pump (ha!). From there I play blood moon into his Tomb + Pendelhaven. Turns out BUG infect is stone cold to Moon, and I have the seas for when he draws his basic forest.
3-0
Round 3 Marco Tessari on err 4c Gifts (no green) 2-1
I know this guy he's pretty nice, he was on UWR twin last time and I beat him with UR delver, so I'm respecting the twin combo till shown otherwise and he's respecting the fact that I could burn him out at anytime. I seas his opening Colonnade, then we play a bit of draw go, with both of us getting good card quality with desolate lighthouses. I flood super hard and can't find a moon to save me (went through ~ half my deck) try to aggro him out but he has helixes and snap helixes to stop that. I end up having to anger for roughly card parity. I end up getting a shackles on the field to his snappy but am tapped out and he EoT with his last card gifts until elesh+rites. Completely unexpected (I had him on UWR splash black with cryptic as his last card... silly of me) he reanimates elesh and swings to put me at 2 from 6, cool he's had one draw step, damage spell is his only out. He bolts me to finish the game, ouch.
Out
-2 Anger
-1 Slash
-1 Leak
-1 Electrolyze
-1 Bolt? (Don't remember)
In
+2 Seas (wrong!)
+1 Counterflux
+1 Skull
+1 Keranos
+1 Negate
I think I resolve an early seas on something (a colonnade probably), then we play draw go draw go, I remand a gifts, then a keranos then negate a gifts. Letting him resolve keranos, I then slam a moon. He shoots a snappy and a clique I think (which I used to give myself card quality), before I resolve a batterskull with mana up. I then Cryptic a D sphere? and bounce his keranos (with no more basics in play he couldn't replay it that turn) and proceed to beat his face in with my skull uncontested.
Out
-4 Seas
In
+1 Bolt
+1 Electrolyzze
+2 Relic
He mulls to 5 and I resolve an early Relic. We trade resources but I get a moon, and he is stuck with terastodon in his hand while I resolve a keranos and go upstairs all game long... Unexciting end to a good match.
4-0
'Finals' Matthew Buckingham Affinity 2-1
He wins the die roll, goes Thopter, blinkmoth, springleaf drum, opal, plating. Retch. I don't remember what I did turn 1 but I did take 4 from a thopter swing, which he follows with a pest and another plating. I flash in a clique in combat and use it on myself I think taking who knows what but it sucked, block the pest and take 7 from the thopter. I then have to charm the thopter next turn letting him resolve a Master of Etherium. I am now in desperation mode searching for a shackles. Flashing back visions and looting with charms and lighthouse. I chump with a snappy and have to charm another pest, end up visions into flame slash bolt which takes care of the master, but by now hes played 2 or 3 thoughtcasts and the game is basically over. He resolves etched champion, I knock my deck and draw not shackles.
Out
-1 Moon
-1 Seas
-3 Remand
In
+1 Anger
+2 Vandalblast
+1 Threads
+1 Skull
Probably should have taken out the V cliques here, but I definitely did not think about it. We both mull which favors me I think, I have no action + lands snappy and vision. I reluctantly keep, and I vision turn 1. He has a manland and then lotus petals an opal turn 2 to thoughtcast, I snapback vision and resolve moon. Then beat his face to 12 life with my dork. He floods out super hard afterwards and all my life loss was from fetches. I had all the answers
No sideboard change
He mulls again, while I keep a sketchy 7 with 1 land and double serum visions after seeing he mulled. I had 2 charms and a bolt so I felt good if I could vision into land in the first 3 turns. I find lighthouse (sigh) but keep it, and end up visioning into two fetches and a shackles. He goes thopter, skirge, memnite and beats me down to 12 with dorks. I steal the skirge with shackles and he resolves Master. I block his master with the skirge and shoot the memnite. From here I think I shoot down the thopter then flame slash the master and snap a bolt back at it. He gets plating pest and a champ on the field then I rip vandalblast. He's left with 1 land and 2 cards in hand to my 4 or 5 of lands and cards. I resolve batterskull on an empty board, he finds a few dorks which I anger away and then beat his face in with clique and Skull.
5-0
Deck felt smooth, first real playtest in tournament setting which worked nicely. As expected all blue control decks were basically byes (or felt like they should be byes, being the remand deck + having 2R I win as a 4 of are sweet), do not go for the seas plan against U decks, just rely on moon and have one or two for potential manlands, but remember that the other U control decks never want to tap mana on their turn for fear of Moon. Lighthouse was good, as was charm, the deck does have extremely powerful situational cards and being able to get rid of them is sweet. Lighthouse is just mountain under moon anyway, the colourless was never relevant. Affinity felt fine as I thought but wasn't sure, I almost stole game 1 and games 2 and 3 were horrible blowouts.
Did not get to test against BG decks which is something I'm keen for, threads and keranos as such did not get a workout neither did my 4 seas package. Don't forget to remand your own spells, and end step cliques to clear the way for your blood moon to resolve.
It was fun, any questions just ask, I like this deck as there is no 'core' deck list which allows my brewing side to shine (I piloted 4c teachigns last PTQ season to 5-2 and 5-2 sadly missing top 8 by 1 win both times so I like bad control brews)
There are a fair amount of mono colored and affinity decks in my meta so I was concerned that this deck might not be so well positioned tonight. But it just seems too fun. In testing I found the monocolored/robots match to not be as awful as I expected. I was considering maindecking an engineered explosives to solve this problem. But with all the removal I already have it really isnt a problem at all. I dont get rolled by these decks, I die slowly. Im able to control the game for the most part but after I run out of counters Im dead and have no way to close the game. I was running the master of waves version. I havent tested this list yet but I think the stormbreaths and keranos will be a big help in actually ending games.I also decided to run 3 moons over the standard playset due to it being a dead card in a fair amount of games.
I ran the playset due to my 2 izzet charms + loothouse. If you're getting aggro'd out I would say batterskull is almost essential for this deck, we're so slow that we run the risk of getting burned out. Lifegain is pretty important.
I'd probably run shadow of doubt over squelch as it cycles when it's dead, how are you finding 4 remand? Especially in an aggro meta I'd probably go a split of that and leak.
Went 1-2 friday with the above list. The two losses were very nearly wins so Im not too unhappy about the results as it was my first time actually playing that list.
Round 1. Monowhite Soul sisters. 1-2
I kept a hand that was decent despite the presence of a blood moon. I stay in the game with a steady stream of board management but draw all of my bloodmoons. Izzet charm would have been great. I drew loothouse but it was too late. I bring in basically half my sideboard and bolt him to death with a keranos game 2. Game 3 I have a ranger of eos shackled and a monstrous stormbreath dragon and have been keeping him below 10 life but I stayed at 1 life for several turns, ruining my attacks, and died to a resolved spectral procession.
Round 2 vs Jund (2-0)
And the match I was hoping to get paired against round 1 was almost a buy. I let his dark confidant resolve and spell snare 2 goyfs. Lilly gets remanded then cryptic'd. I shackle the bob, play a dragon and beat down only.having to snare 1 terminate. Game 2 he keeps stealing a tarmogoyf out from my shackles with a bow of nylea. It was annoying but I managed to keranos him out while chump blocking with his own bobs and a lucky stream of snapcasters.
Round 3 vs goblins? (1-2)
This match was frustrating to say the least. I draw a terrible blood moon and just as I get to stabilizing he kills me with double goblin grenade. Game 2 I mull to five but with electrolyze EE and 3 lands im not feeling too horrible. My draws feed me more gas and I keranos him out. Game 3 I land a keranos and a stormbreath but hes burned me down to 2 life. He has one card in hand and I have a bolt and a spell snare in hand. Hes at 7 life, dead if I untap. He draws, plays a legion loyalist and plays goblin grenade. I had to get an oracle wording on goblin grenade. The fallen empires version is written as "sacrifice a goblin: deal 5 to target creature or player" so I thought I could bolt in response. Turns out I couldnt and defeat was once again snatched from the jaws of victory.
The 4 remands were great in the sense that I would still be cutting leak in any match where I would cut remand, and remand cantrips. Obviously leak can actually kill on the stack but I never felt bad casting remand. In matchs where you would side it out, it can dig right into that anger of the gods you really need.now wbere leak would just be putting a finger in the dam. I could use izzet charms though though I think I will shave 1 remand. But Im unsure where the 2nd charm should go.
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Yeah I've been having a lot of fun testing this deck at my lgs. 1 charm has seemed to do the trick. However I've been finding that people are really a lot more prepared to deal with blood moon; its not even that great against tron. That said its still a good card but I do not know how viable a control deck built around exploiting it is at the moment. I've built a deck that is basically the same idea only the moons have been relegated to the board and the seas have been cut entirely. Its been doing really well at my store (we have a huge modern community here) and I've posted the list in the Modern Deck Creation page since, well, it isn't blue moon anymore. I posted the thread titled Keranos Control (Blue Moonless) check it out!
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I'm not so sure, blood moon is such a powerful threat, that it makes your opponents play their 75s sub optimally. Fetching basics in greedy decks is bad, they're slowing themselves down, saving abrupt decays for blood moons makes your threads and shackles better, siding artifact hate gets you blown out by keranos. Sure if the meta actually shifts to decks that can handle blood moon (like delver, UR twin, soul sisters and the like) I would stop playing this deck, but with correct play there are too many free wins possible.
Edit: Blood moon is amazing against tron, you turn them into a fair ramp deck minus the ramp. If you combine spreading seas onto their tron pieces you have more disruption then they have nature's claims in their deck.
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I'm not specifically worried about Tron in Richmond, because I don't expect to see much Tron (either version). If I am wrong, then oh well. I can't waste sideboard space on a match I don't believe will be relevant.
I would try Stormbreath Dragon.
Storm Crow is strictly worse than Seacoast Drake.
Following its breakout success at PT Valencia, Blue Moon has seen a bunch of MTGO dailies (not to mention its performance at the PT itself). The deck may be new and relatively "untested", especially compared with other heavy hitters in Established, but it's an awesome brew that saw a lot of recent success. This brings it into Established where we can hope it continues its record.
http://www.starcitygames.com/article/28141_AJTV-12-Positioning-Maneuvering-Combo-vs-Control.html
The only flash card you can play that doesn't die to bolt is teferi, and i don't like that as a finisher. Cards worth considering are aether vial or leyline of anticipation. And then cutting some cards to put in thirst for knowledge to pitch some dead moons or leylines/vials/shackles.
Using Lee Shi Tian's list, I guess you could cut 2 threads of disloyalty for 2 blue leylines, then maybe shave a serum visions for a thirst. I'm not sure if that makes the deck better, but i'd really want to try to find a way to get instant speed finishers. There's a lot of twin online.
http://www.bazaar-of-moxen.com/en/bazaar-of-moxen-coverage-bom9,24/bom9-modern-main-event,c150.html
Storm Crow is strictly worse than Seacoast Drake.
4 Misty Rainforest
4 Scalding Tarn
2 Steam Vents
1 Sulfur Falls
1 Mountain
9 Island
1 Desolate Lighthouse
Enchantments
4 Blood Moon
2 Spreading Seas
Instants and Sorceries
2 Izzet Charm
2 Cryptic Command
4 Lightning Bolt
1 Electrolyze
1 Mana Leak
1 Flame Slash
3 Serum Visions
3 Remand
2 Spell Snare
2 Anger of the Gods
4 Snapcaster Mage
2 Vendilion Clique
1 Keranos, God of Storms
Artifacts
2 Vedalken Shackles
1 Batterskull
1 Anger of the Gods
1 Spreading Seas
3 Vandalblast
1 Negate
1 Counterflux
1 Threads of Disloyalty
1 Batterskull
3 Combust
2 Relic of Progenitus
1 Flame Slash
-1 Flame Slash
-1 Vandalblast
+1 Spreading Seas
+1 Keranos
Got there and played a friendly match against some sort of RW lockdown/kikki deck.
He blood mooned me turn 4 (lol) I resolved a clique and stole his Kikki with Shackles. Gave myself unbeateable card quality with a free clique every turn, remand his wraths and ended up beating his face in while paying for a ghostly prison.
1-0
Round 1 - Matthew Hulme on UWR Control (2-0)
We shuffle up and talk some smack, he complains that his friends only call him while he's playing magic tournaments and they proceed to all match long. I win the roll, opening 7 has something like bolt remand snap seas land visions maybe? I think I go visions into seas onto his turn 1 colonnade. I wait until I represent spell snare to crack my fetch (important, don't get blown out by shadow of doubt with this land light control deck), I end up drawing the good old triple bolt + snapcaster draw. I was way ahead in this game, and was getting great card quality with desolate lighthouse when I needed it, so I actually held onto my moon in game 1 and maybe a seas? I end up bolting him to death while beating face with a snappy and clique
Out
-2 Anger
-1 Flame Slash
-1 Electrolyze
-1 Bolt
In
+1 Keranos
+1 Brokenskull
+1 Counterflux
+1 Negate
+1 Spreading Seas
So I'm like 90% sure he thinks I'm on twin/delver this game with how I played out game 1. With this is mind I know I'm going to moon him out game 2. I keep a land heavy hand (blue control mirror) with visions and a snappy I think. I visions turn 1 and then snap it back turn 3 (which he allows I think) and loot an izzet charm trying to find a hand of moon + protection. I get there so I try to resolve another snappy at some point to flashback charm for more looting which he snares (sweet! Trying to remove his counters now) I wait until I'm 90% sure he's sitting on cryptic + 1 land + maybe some other counters (he has 4 or 5 cards in hand) and 7 lands in play. I EOT try to resolve a clique with 3 lands untapped which he cryptics (all going to plan) he now has 3 lands untapped. I untap and slam moon with remand snare charm in my hand and 4 lands untapped. He doesn't do anything relevant for the rest of the game.
2-0
Round 2 Charles Tricker BUG infect (2-0)
He lead inkmoth go, I go 'haha I see whats going here now', thinking affinity. I put my shock into play tapped rather than visions turn 1. He goes pendelhaven swing with inkmoth... Whoops. Luckily my hand is absolute gas against infect, boltx2 + snappy. He vineses in response to my first bolt on inkmoth but the 2nd one gets there. And my snappy takes care of his blighted agent followup. I then resolve a shackles and ask if its as good against him as I think it is, turns out it is. I ended up stealing a noble hierarch and beating face with exalted + snappy then exalted + clique, while charms slashes and bolts killed all his dudes.
Out
-2 Cryptics
-1 Notsobrokenskull
In
+1 Negate
+1 Threads
+1 Anger
He leads with catacombs, cracks it into Overgrown Tomb (omg!) then resolves spellskite turn 2 while I tapped out for visions and feel pretty silly now. I think he goes into plague stinger beat down mode, while I'm trying to deal with this spellskite. I end up using shackles to take the skite and izzet charming the stinger with negate at the ready for his pump (ha!). From there I play blood moon into his Tomb + Pendelhaven. Turns out BUG infect is stone cold to Moon, and I have the seas for when he draws his basic forest.
3-0
Round 3 Marco Tessari on err 4c Gifts (no green) 2-1
I know this guy he's pretty nice, he was on UWR twin last time and I beat him with UR delver, so I'm respecting the twin combo till shown otherwise and he's respecting the fact that I could burn him out at anytime. I seas his opening Colonnade, then we play a bit of draw go, with both of us getting good card quality with desolate lighthouses. I flood super hard and can't find a moon to save me (went through ~ half my deck) try to aggro him out but he has helixes and snap helixes to stop that. I end up having to anger for roughly card parity. I end up getting a shackles on the field to his snappy but am tapped out and he EoT with his last card gifts until elesh+rites. Completely unexpected (I had him on UWR splash black with cryptic as his last card... silly of me) he reanimates elesh and swings to put me at 2 from 6, cool he's had one draw step, damage spell is his only out. He bolts me to finish the game, ouch.
Out
-2 Anger
-1 Slash
-1 Leak
-1 Electrolyze
-1 Bolt? (Don't remember)
In
+2 Seas (wrong!)
+1 Counterflux
+1 Skull
+1 Keranos
+1 Negate
I think I resolve an early seas on something (a colonnade probably), then we play draw go draw go, I remand a gifts, then a keranos then negate a gifts. Letting him resolve keranos, I then slam a moon. He shoots a snappy and a clique I think (which I used to give myself card quality), before I resolve a batterskull with mana up. I then Cryptic a D sphere? and bounce his keranos (with no more basics in play he couldn't replay it that turn) and proceed to beat his face in with my skull uncontested.
Out
-4 Seas
In
+1 Bolt
+1 Electrolyzze
+2 Relic
He mulls to 5 and I resolve an early Relic. We trade resources but I get a moon, and he is stuck with terastodon in his hand while I resolve a keranos and go upstairs all game long... Unexciting end to a good match.
4-0
'Finals' Matthew Buckingham Affinity 2-1
He wins the die roll, goes Thopter, blinkmoth, springleaf drum, opal, plating. Retch. I don't remember what I did turn 1 but I did take 4 from a thopter swing, which he follows with a pest and another plating. I flash in a clique in combat and use it on myself I think taking who knows what but it sucked, block the pest and take 7 from the thopter. I then have to charm the thopter next turn letting him resolve a Master of Etherium. I am now in desperation mode searching for a shackles. Flashing back visions and looting with charms and lighthouse. I chump with a snappy and have to charm another pest, end up visions into flame slash bolt which takes care of the master, but by now hes played 2 or 3 thoughtcasts and the game is basically over. He resolves etched champion, I knock my deck and draw not shackles.
Out
-1 Moon
-1 Seas
-3 Remand
In
+1 Anger
+2 Vandalblast
+1 Threads
+1 Skull
Probably should have taken out the V cliques here, but I definitely did not think about it. We both mull which favors me I think, I have no action + lands snappy and vision. I reluctantly keep, and I vision turn 1. He has a manland and then lotus petals an opal turn 2 to thoughtcast, I snapback vision and resolve moon. Then beat his face to 12 life with my dork. He floods out super hard afterwards and all my life loss was from fetches. I had all the answers
No sideboard change
He mulls again, while I keep a sketchy 7 with 1 land and double serum visions after seeing he mulled. I had 2 charms and a bolt so I felt good if I could vision into land in the first 3 turns. I find lighthouse (sigh) but keep it, and end up visioning into two fetches and a shackles. He goes thopter, skirge, memnite and beats me down to 12 with dorks. I steal the skirge with shackles and he resolves Master. I block his master with the skirge and shoot the memnite. From here I think I shoot down the thopter then flame slash the master and snap a bolt back at it. He gets plating pest and a champ on the field then I rip vandalblast. He's left with 1 land and 2 cards in hand to my 4 or 5 of lands and cards. I resolve batterskull on an empty board, he finds a few dorks which I anger away and then beat his face in with clique and Skull.
5-0
Deck felt smooth, first real playtest in tournament setting which worked nicely. As expected all blue control decks were basically byes (or felt like they should be byes, being the remand deck + having 2R I win as a 4 of are sweet), do not go for the seas plan against U decks, just rely on moon and have one or two for potential manlands, but remember that the other U control decks never want to tap mana on their turn for fear of Moon. Lighthouse was good, as was charm, the deck does have extremely powerful situational cards and being able to get rid of them is sweet. Lighthouse is just mountain under moon anyway, the colourless was never relevant. Affinity felt fine as I thought but wasn't sure, I almost stole game 1 and games 2 and 3 were horrible blowouts.
Did not get to test against BG decks which is something I'm keen for, threads and keranos as such did not get a workout neither did my 4 seas package. Don't forget to remand your own spells, and end step cliques to clear the way for your blood moon to resolve.
It was fun, any questions just ask, I like this deck as there is no 'core' deck list which allows my brewing side to shine (I piloted 4c teachigns last PTQ season to 5-2 and 5-2 sadly missing top 8 by 1 win both times so I like bad control brews)
2 sulfur falls
2 temple of epiphany
2 shivan reef
10 island
1 mountain
1 desolate lighthouse
3 blood moon
2 spreading seas
2 vedalken shackles
4 serum visions
4 lightning bolt
3 electrolyze
2 anger of the gods
4 remand
4 spell snare
2 cryptic command
4 snapcaster mage
1 keranos god of storms
1 stormbreath dragon
2 spreading seas
2 grim lavamancer
2 engineered explosives
2 combust
3 squelch
1 keranos god of storms
1 stormbreath dragon
2 vandalblast
There are a fair amount of mono colored and affinity decks in my meta so I was concerned that this deck might not be so well positioned tonight. But it just seems too fun. In testing I found the monocolored/robots match to not be as awful as I expected. I was considering maindecking an engineered explosives to solve this problem. But with all the removal I already have it really isnt a problem at all. I dont get rolled by these decks, I die slowly. Im able to control the game for the most part but after I run out of counters Im dead and have no way to close the game. I was running the master of waves version. I havent tested this list yet but I think the stormbreaths and keranos will be a big help in actually ending games.I also decided to run 3 moons over the standard playset due to it being a dead card in a fair amount of games.
I'd probably run shadow of doubt over squelch as it cycles when it's dead, how are you finding 4 remand? Especially in an aggro meta I'd probably go a split of that and leak.
Round 1. Monowhite Soul sisters. 1-2
I kept a hand that was decent despite the presence of a blood moon. I stay in the game with a steady stream of board management but draw all of my bloodmoons. Izzet charm would have been great. I drew loothouse but it was too late. I bring in basically half my sideboard and bolt him to death with a keranos game 2. Game 3 I have a ranger of eos shackled and a monstrous stormbreath dragon and have been keeping him below 10 life but I stayed at 1 life for several turns, ruining my attacks, and died to a resolved spectral procession.
Round 2 vs Jund (2-0)
And the match I was hoping to get paired against round 1 was almost a buy. I let his dark confidant resolve and spell snare 2 goyfs. Lilly gets remanded then cryptic'd. I shackle the bob, play a dragon and beat down only.having to snare 1 terminate. Game 2 he keeps stealing a tarmogoyf out from my shackles with a bow of nylea. It was annoying but I managed to keranos him out while chump blocking with his own bobs and a lucky stream of snapcasters.
Round 3 vs goblins? (1-2)
This match was frustrating to say the least. I draw a terrible blood moon and just as I get to stabilizing he kills me with double goblin grenade. Game 2 I mull to five but with electrolyze EE and 3 lands im not feeling too horrible. My draws feed me more gas and I keranos him out. Game 3 I land a keranos and a stormbreath but hes burned me down to 2 life. He has one card in hand and I have a bolt and a spell snare in hand. Hes at 7 life, dead if I untap. He draws, plays a legion loyalist and plays goblin grenade. I had to get an oracle wording on goblin grenade. The fallen empires version is written as "sacrifice a goblin: deal 5 to target creature or player" so I thought I could bolt in response. Turns out I couldnt and defeat was once again snatched from the jaws of victory.
The 4 remands were great in the sense that I would still be cutting leak in any match where I would cut remand, and remand cantrips. Obviously leak can actually kill on the stack but I never felt bad casting remand. In matchs where you would side it out, it can dig right into that anger of the gods you really need.now wbere leak would just be putting a finger in the dam. I could use izzet charms though though I think I will shave 1 remand. But Im unsure where the 2nd charm should go.
Edit: Blood moon is amazing against tron, you turn them into a fair ramp deck minus the ramp. If you combine spreading seas onto their tron pieces you have more disruption then they have nature's claims in their deck.